Which drawer slides are you looking for?

Every trade application brings its own requirements, challenges, and difficulties. Drawer slides are no exception. Only when you know exactly where a drawer is being installed and for what purpose can you determine and buy the right drawer slide. 

Drawer slides can be divided according to various criteria:

• By design
• according to function
• according to type of installation

Below is an overview of the whole world of drawer slides.

...by design

Usually the intended use, but also the required space and the desired load capacity of a drawer, determine the design of the drawer slide:

• Telescopic slides: This drawer slide can be extended telescopically from the closed position to an extended, open position. The inner part is attached to the actual drawer, while the surrounding guide housing of the slide is mounted on the cabinet. Telescopic slides are widely used and have proven themselves exceptionally well.
• Undermount slides: The special advantage of an undermount slide lies in its low space requirement. The drawer runner is located beneath the drawer, so little space is needed on both sides. Depending on the application, this can be very advantageous. Click here for the undermount slides.
• Roller slides: The probably most common type of drawer runner, as it is very safe, robust, and practical, is the roller slide. Several rollers run in a guide rail and hold the drawer in position. It is especially practical that you can simply remove the drawer completely, for example to clean or repair it. This also makes installation easier. To the category
• Ball-bearing drawer slides: These are telescopic slides in which the inner (extendable) profile is supported on steel or plastic balls, giving it smoother and better running characteristics. View products

...by function

They are the invisible helpers that allow us every day to open and close drawers: drawer slides. Depending on the application, there are systems with different functions or combinations of them:

• Drawer slides with self-closing: These ensure the drawer is pulled in automatically during the last few centimeters.
• Full-extension drawer slides with push-to-open function: Handleless fronts are becoming increasingly popular throughout the home. This is where drawer slides are used that can be opened by pressing.
• Soft-close damping: In kitchens, drawer slides with damping have become established in recent years. This function prevents the drawer from slamming shut if it is closed too quickly.

...by type of installation

Drawer runners can be mounted in different ways:

• Side mounting: Drawer units with side-mounted guide rails are especially common. The advantages are general reliability, easy installation, and above all the low space requirement in height.
• Undermount installation: However, if the side space is limited or you want to make the most of the drawer width, you can opt for undermount installation. Here, you attach the slides beneath the drawer box, which does however reduce usable height.
• In the groove: You can also install the slide attached to the drawer box in a groove. This reduces the required side space. The Accuride 2642 model, for example, is suitable both for groove mounting and for surface-mounted side installation.
• Surface-mounted installation: In contrast, with surface-mounted installation, the drawer slides are attached directly to the cabinet and the side wall of the drawer. A side, surface-mounted installation therefore requires the most space and reduces the usable drawer size.

Frequently asked: How long should a drawer slide be?

The simple answer: as long as possible. So either as long as the drawer, if it already exists, or as long as the depth of the cabinet into which you want to install custom-made drawers, for example.

Normally, however, it is not quite that simple, as there are a few points to consider: Do you need a partial extension, or do you want a full extension? With a full extension, you can pull the drawer out completely (100%, compared with 75% for a partial extension) and thus have unrestricted access to the rear area. Full-extension slides usually have an additional intermediate element. This makes them slightly wider. Make sure there is enough space on the sides of the drawer for such slides. Another point to consider is the front overlay type. There are two types here:

• The inset drawer box and
• The overlay drawer box

With the inset drawer box, the front of the drawer sits flush with the cabinet side, or in other words: the drawer does not protrude from the cabinet. The entire front of the piece of furniture therefore forms a flush surface. Alternatively, with the inset drawer box, the front can even be set back, meaning it sits deeper than the cabinet. Especially for recessed drawers, you should choose a drawer slide with full extension or perhaps even over-extension so that you have easy access to the back of the drawer. With the overlay drawer box, the front of the drawer overlaps the cabinet side, or in other words: it protrudes from the cabinet. Depending on whether the drawer including front is pushed into the cabinet (inset drawer box), or the front overlaps the cabinet and remains outside (overlay drawer box), less or more length is available.

• For inset drawer boxes, the formula for calculating the length of the drawer slides is: cabinet depth – front thickness – 3 mm tolerance. It can also be shorter.
• For overlay drawer boxes, more length is available. The formula for how long the drawer slide should be is: cabinet depth – 3 mm tolerance, or shorter.

Frequently asked questions about drawer runners